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"FacebookPinterest\n\n I hate it. I try to avoid it every year. But whether due to poor planning or last-minute gifts I can\u2019t get online, I inevitably end up entering the thick of holiday madness in midtown Manhattan. Here is my survival guide for enduring the insanity:\n\n 1. Get Fortified\n\n You\u2019ll need to eat something to keep your strength up. I like a quick and convenient street vendor snack right out of the subway. Try to avoid the pretzels and hot dogs and go right for the roasted chestnuts. They\u2019re imported from Italy for the season and they\u2019re rich, delicious, fit in a jacket pocket, and serve as a sort of urban trail mix. Most street vendors have them, but ask for fresh ones.\n\nFacebookPinterest\n\n 2. Sit Down\n\n After a few hours of running around and banging through the shops, sit down and get a shoe shine. It\u2019s surprisingly restorative for you (and your brogues). Try Allen Edmonds at 1250 6th Avenue between 48 and 49th Streets, or Louis shoe repair at 25 West 33rd Street, in the Empire State building\n\nFacebookPinterest\n\n 3. Have a Coffee\n\n There are plenty of deli and chain cups available, and your favorite baristas may be in another neighborhood, but I\u2019d take a few extra steps to get to Zibetto on 6th Avenue and 56th. This is one of the few stand-up/Italian style coffee bars around, and one of my favorites.\n\nFacebookPinterest\n\n 4. Get a Drink\n\n When the shopping is done\u2014have that cocktail. Depending on where you end up, here\u2019s my short list for an old-school bar with sympathetic bartenders who will (at least pretend to) understand what you\u2019ve just been through.\n\n Oyster Bar in Grand Central\n\n Sardi\u2019s (upstairs) 234 West 44th St.\n\n Keens Steakhouse 72 West 36th St.\n\n King Cole Bar at the St. Regis 2 East 55th St.\n\n Matthew Hranek is a longtime GQ contributor. He splits his time between Brooklyn and Upstate N.Y. with his wife and daughter. Read Matthew\u2019s blog, The William Brown Project, here."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.gq.com/story/how-to-survive-midtown-manhattan-holiday-shopping>